The AIM2 inflammasome is critical for innate immunity to Francisella tularensis.

Francisella tularensis, the causative agent of tularemia, infects host macrophages, which triggers production of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-18. We elucidate here how host macrophages recognize F. tularensis and elicit this proinflammatory response. Using mice deficient in the DNA-sensing inflammasome component AIM2, we demonstrate here that AIM2 is required for sensing F. tularensis. AIM2-deficient mice were extremely susceptible to F. tularensis infection, with greater mortality and bacterial burden than that of wild-type mice. Caspase-1 activation, IL-1beta secretion and cell death were absent in Aim2(-/-) macrophages in response to F. tularensis infection or the presence of cytoplasmic DNA. Our study identifies AIM2 as a crucial sensor of F. tularensis infection and provides genetic proof of its critical role in host innate immunity to intracellular pathogens.

Anti-inflammatory compounds parthenolide and Bay 11-7082 are direct inhibitors of the inflammasome.

Activation of the inflammasome generates the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-1 beta and -18, which are important mediators of inflammation. Abnormal activation of the inflammasome leads to many inflammatory diseases, including gout, silicosis, neurodegeneration, and genetically inherited periodic fever syndromes. Therefore, identification of small molecule inhibitors that target the inflammasome is an important step toward developing effective therapeutics for the treatment of inflammation. Here, we show that the herbal NF-kappaB inhibitory compound parthenolide inhibits the activity of multiple inflammasomes in macrophages by directly inhibiting the protease activity of caspase-1. Additional investigations of other NF-kappaB inhibitors revealed that the synthetic I kappaB kinase-beta inhibitor Bay 11-7082 and structurally related vinyl sulfone compounds selectively inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activity in macrophages independent of their inhibitory effect on NF-kappaB activity. In vitro assays of the effect of parthenolide and Bay 11-7082 on the ATPase activity of NLRP3 demonstrated that both compounds inhibit the ATPase activity of NLRP3, suggesting that the inhibitory effect of these compounds on inflammasome activity could be mediated in part through their effect on the ATPase activity of NLRP3. Our results thus elucidate the molecular mechanism for the therapeutic anti-inflammatory activity of parthenolide and identify vinyl sulfones as a new class of potential therapeutics that target the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Pyrin activates the ASC pyroptosome in response to engagement by autoinflammatory PSTPIP1 mutants.

The molecular mechanism by which mutations in the cytoskeleton-organizing protein PSTPIP1 cause the autoinflammatory PAPA syndrome is still elusive. Here, we demonstrate that PSTPIP1 requires the familial Mediterranean fever protein pyrin to assemble the ASC pyroptosome, a molecular platform that recruits and activates caspase-1. We provide evidence that pyrin is a cytosolic receptor for PSTPIP1. Pyrin exists as a homotrimer in an autoinhibited state due to intramolecular interactions between its pyrin domain (PYD) and B-box. Ligation by PSTPIP1, which is also a homotrimer, activates pyrin by unmasking its PYD, thereby allowing it to interact with ASC and facilitate ASC oligomerization into an active ASC pyroptosome. Because of their high binding affinity to pyrin's B-box, PAPA-associated PSTPIP1 mutants were found to be more effective than WT PSTPIP1 in inducing pyrin activation. Therefore, constitutive ligation and activation of pyrin by mutant PSTPIP1 proteins explain the autoinflammatory phenotype seen in PAPA syndrome.

Decreased glycolytic metabolism accelerates apoptosis in response to 2-acetyl furanonaphthoquinone in K1735 melanoma irrespective of bcl-2 overexpression.

Solid tumors are often placed under stress conditions, such as glucose starvation which may result in topoisomerase II drug resistance. In this study, we investigated whether glucose deprivation or substitution by fructose regulates tumor cell apoptosis induced by 2-acetyl furanonaphthoquinone (FNQ). We now show that FNQ exerts much greater antitumor activity than either 7-methoxy 2-ethyl FNQ or 2-ethyl FNQ. Whereas 0.8 microM FNQ induces apoptosis after 16 hours in glucose-supplemented conditions irrespective of bcl-2 overexpression in K1735 melanoma, 0.5 microM FNQ is also effective within 12 hours in low glucose or in fructose-supplemented medium. Under the latter conditions, apoptosis-associated PARP cleavage and cytosolic cytochrome C are increased, together with induction and partial translocation to mitochondria of phosphorylated Jun-N-terminal kinase and massive upregulation of mitochondrial Mn superoxide dismutase. We propose that mitochondrial colocalization of these activities is important in this synergistic anti-tumor effect of FNQ and glucose depletion. Since glucose limitation slows proliferation and decreases efficacy of some genotoxic drugs that trigger apoptosis in rapidly dividing cells, we propose evaluating FNQ as a novel therapeutic anti-cancer adjuvant against slowly proliferating tumors.